Beverly Triton, Mayo Beach, South River Farm Park Comments Please

[Lisa]

Hello all, please comment on the latest plans for Beverly Triton Beach Park, Mayo Beach Park and South River Farm Park. These parks are south of Annapolis, MD.

There is a new set of Mayo Peninsula Parks Plan out. Comments are due Sunday October 29 2017 (although I predict they'll accept late comments.) The more people push a feature at this planning stage, the more likely it is that the feature will be built out in the "paying for it" stage.

The big kayak news is that the South River Farm Park plan includes a kayak launch onto Selby Bay. The main kayak lacks are no paddle-in campsites at Beverly Triton Beach Park and South River Farm Park, plus tweaks to minimize contact between pedestrian beach users and cartop top boat use.

The plans on online here: http://www.aacounty.org/departments/...ninsula-parks/ You submit your "Public Comment" right from the page.

Note that there are 2 versions of the plan for each park.

Apologies for the late notice. I didn't notice there were new plans out for comment.

Lisa

[Lisa]

Repeat plans link: http://www.aacounty.org/departments/...eninsula-parks

Below are my first thoughts on Mayo Beach Park, Beverly Triton Beach Park and South River Farm Park plans. The windsports got us into these parks - the BABA windsurfers and EastKB kiteboarders got Mayo Beach Park and Beverly Triton Beach Park open just enough so that the rest of us could squeeze in - and their use must be protected. The windsports are most vulnerable to shoreline restrictions and, unlike kayakers, they don't have other places to go. Say thanks next time you launch next to one of them.

Please look over the plans carefully, everyone sees something different and the more eyes the better.

First Thoughts ===========

Overall - these plans are an improvement over the prior versions.

The showers and toilets at Beverly Triton Beach Park and South River Farm Park improve hygiene and comfort by allowing people to rinse off sand and Bay water and modestly change clothes before going home. Relocating the Carvel Road through road minimizes interaction between Beverly Triton Beach Park pedestrians and local vehicle through traffic. The Beverly Triton Beach Park pedestrian ramp at the kayak drop off will make getting gear to the beach easier. The kayak launch at South River Farm Park onto Selby Bay will let kayakers access both the open South River and sheltered Ramsey Lake.

The planned improvements, however, must be adjusted to make sure Beverly Triton Beach Park remains the premier kiteboarding spot and Mayo Beach Park remains the premier windsurfing spot on the western shore on the entire Chesapeake Bay. Paddle-in campsites at Beverly Triton Beach Park and South River Farm Park would create sought after Bay side kayak camping in Anne Arundel County.

Beverly Triton Beach Park

1) Eliminate the waterfront pavilion in Beverly Triton Beach Park

*Pavilion removal helps separate the active watersports - windsurfers, kiteboarders, kayakers, SUPers - from pedestrian beach use, preserves the open grassy space necessary for kiteboarders and windsurfers to rig their gear, preserves the existing splendid view and reduces impervious surface

2) Move the waterfront totlot across the drive to the wooded area behind the waterfront picnic area.

*Totlot relocation helps separate the active watersports - windsurfers, kiteboarders, kayakers, SUPers - from children's beach use, preserves open grassy space necessary for kiteboarders and windsurfers to rig their gear, preserves the existing splendid view and moves ground improvements necessary for the totlot further away from the water

*Totlot relocation to a shaded location also makes the playground better for children. For example, the pleasant shaded playground at Mayo Beach Park is much better for children playing than the unshaded and baking hot playground at Fort Smallwood Park.

3) Create a second windsports launch at the south end of the park

4) Add a paddle-in campground on the south end of the park

Mayo Beach Park

1) Eliminate the two proposed pavilions nearest the park entrance. The Baltimore Area Boardsailing Association (BABA) worked with the Department of Recreation and Parks to optimize this area for windsurfing. This area should be preserved for windsurfing and other cartop boats.

*Removal of the two pavilions in this area helps separate the active watersports - windsurfers, kiteboarders, kayakers, SUPers - from pedestrian beach use and preserves open grassy space necessary for kiteboarders and windsurfers to rig their gear

*This area is level and people can move heavy gear (a kayak can weigh more than 60 pounds) on the flat from cars to water. The other cartop launch at the far end of the park requires people to move gear down a steep hill to the water and back up again.

South River Farm Park

1) include a paddle-in campsite on the point

[Lisa]

It's hard to believe that Beverly Triton only opened to the general public 4 years ago, in 2013, after 30 years of county ownership.

Here are some articles from the bad old days telling why and how we were locked out of our public park for 30 years:

But Don't Go Near the Water (Washington Post 1997) https://www.washingtonpost.com/archi...-d8bb64d43f3c/

A ghost beach on the bay Waterfront (Baltimore Sun 1998) http://articles.baltimoresun.com/199...n-anne-arundel

Lisa

[Lisa]

I forgot to mention that the plans include new fishing piers into the tidal ponds. 2 onto Deep Pond in Beverly Triton Beach Park, 1 onto Big Pond behind Mayo Beach Park. The decrepit fishing pier on Limehouse Cove in South River Farm Park will be rehabbed.

Please take a minute and submit comments. It's going to be windy and rainy on Sunday . . .

Lisa